Hide and Seek

My husband has story after story about playing outside. Night games, baseball, trick-or-treating - he did it all. My stories include never climbing a tree, and the summer my parents had to kick me out of the house so I'd go out and play (I was too busy reading!). It seems odd then, that we recently picked up a new family activity that sends us deep into the woods and parks all around us.

It's called Letterboxing. You may be familiar with Geocaching - this is somewhat similar. Basically, letterboxers go out, hide small containers in all kinds of crazy places, then leave clues so others can find them. Inside the container is a stamp (often hand-made) and a logbook. When you find a letterbox, you stamp your own personal stamp into the logbook, then use the box's stamp to record your find in your own logbook.

It's been a blast. We began on Father's Day with a series called "The Island of Sodor." Our Little Man loved it. Well, as soon as he was reassured there were no tigers in the woods he loved it! We've been to all kinds of places we never would have otherwise. We even wound up in a cemetery and stumbled upon hubby's grandparents' grave site! How can you beat it? It's free - except for the cost of a stamp, some ink, and a journal/logbook. It's part treasure hunt, part secret detective!

Traditional letterboxes are only one of several kinds of boxes. Virtual letterboxes are another kind. Here's today's challenge. The first person to correctly gain this letterbox wins! Have fun!

If you're interested in learning more about letterboxing, be sure to check out

www.atlastquest.com and www.letterboxing.org

for more information! There are FAQs, tips, rules, and more!